1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-251540 discloses a connection detector mounted in one connector to detect whether male and female connectors have been connected properly. The connection detector is held at an initial position without being able to move forward until a proper connected state is reached. However, forward movement of the detector is allowed when the male and female connectors reach the properly connected state and the connection detector is displaced to a detecting position.
In this connector, a pair of operating springs are formed on opposite widthwise sides of a detector and are locked to holding projections formed in a connector housing to restrict a backward movement of the detector when the detector reaches a connection position.
However, in the above connector, the operating springs deflect out in a width direction when being locked to the holding projections. Accordingly, deflection spaces have to be ensured at outer sides of the operating springs in the width direction. Thus, the positions of protection walls formed to cover the detector in the width direction are made more distant toward outer sides in the width direction by that much. As a result, there has been a problem of enlarging the connector in the width direction.
The present invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to realize the miniaturization of a connector provided with a detector for detecting connection in a width direction.